UFC Champion Admits Ilia Topuria 'Dropped' Him Twice In Sparring

"I can’t spar with him anymore. He hits too hard,” Merab admitted, laughing. “He dropped me two times with a body shot. Thank God my head is okay."

The two fighters, who share a deep friendship, used to train together frequently, but Dvalishvili made it clear that Topuria’s power and precision were too much for him to handle, saying, "Every time I finished sparring with him, I said, 'Thank God.'"

Dvalishvili’s comments highlight how Topuria has evolved into one of the most feared strikers in MMA. The newly crowned UFC lightweight champion has been on a historic run, knocking out legends like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira in consecutive fights.

His ability to read opponents and deliver fight-ending shots has even his closest training partners wary.

“He’s so organized. Ilia sees things before they happen,” Dvalishvili explained, praising Topuria’s fight IQ. “He works for it, and he has plans."

The Georgian champion also weighed in on the pound-for-pound debate, ranking Topuria as the no. 1 fighter in the world, ahead of even Islam Makhachev. Dvalishvili humbly placed himself at no. 4, acknowledging the dominance of fighters like Makhachev, Topuria, and Alexandre Pantoja.

Dvalishvili remains one of the most active champions, eyeing a potential showdown with Cory Sandhagen next.

Merab teased that his next fight may either take place on October in Las Vegas or November at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“I want to fight as soon as possible,” Merab said. “I want to fight soon, you know? I don’t want to wait too much.”